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Personally, I never understood why they used the Deep Space Nine uniforms in Generations. It just doesn't make any sense at all. Every time we were shown non-DS9 personnel in DS9 prior to the First Contact/Dominion War uniform, they wore the TNG uniforms. Hell, Sisko changed uniforms in that Paradise Lost arc.

My guess is that they still wanted some sort of 'uniform-recognition' with TNG.

True, but they do have uniforms for specific functions. An aviator, for instance, isn't likely to get in a plane and take off wearing his dress whites.

It just struck me as rather arbitrary. Can you imagine Picard or Riker going to their closet first thing in the morning and saying to themselves "Hmmm, should I wear the red-front, or red shoulders today?"

This also happened during the third season of TNG. Officers can be seen wearing the "new" style uniform and the "old" one from seasons one and two. I think the excuse was they didn't have enough of the new uniforms yet for the background extras. I don't know what the in-universe explanation is though... Starfleet likes to slowly phase out the old uniforms??

I gave up trying to make sense of it a long time ago. I much prefer my theory that until Generations/Voyager (and later First Contact) there was a period of several years where TNG uniforms = starship duty, DS9 uniforms = space station duty.

I gave up trying to make sense of it a long time ago. I much prefer my theory that until Generations/Voyager (and later First Contact) there was a period of several years where TNG uniforms = starship duty, DS9 uniforms = space station duty.

A different set of uniforms for space station personnel is not implausible, but the personnel on starbases on TNG in "11001001", "The Measure of a Man", and "Starship Mine" all wore the same uniforms)

I know. That's why I said "a period of several years" in my previous post. I'd go further to specify that those "several years" could be anywhere between TNG's 5th season all the way to First Contact/DS9's "Rapture."

Maybe instead of giving everyone a memo "New style uniform from now on", Starfleet told them "Okay, we are phasing the old uniform style out. You are allowed to choose the new or old style at your own discretion for now. All personal must change to the new uniforms by stardate xxxxx.xxxxx."

Maybe instead of giving everyone a memo "New style uniform from now on", Starfleet told them "Okay, we are phasing the old uniform style out. You are allowed to choose the new or old style at your own discretion for now. All personal must change to the new uniforms by stardate xxxxx.xxxxx."

That works for me. Voyager just happened to have taken off after that change. Or Janeway decided to go on a power trip and order everyone to change early.

I remember hearing that after the proposed new uniforms were 86ed, they had to scramble. For some reason they didn't want the TNG uniforms in the movie or in Voyager. They settled on the DS9 uniforms but didn't have the budget for tailoring new ones for the TNG cast. Anyone who could fit into an existing DS9 uniform wore one for at least part of the movie. I believe they even went out and said:

Stewart and Frakes were able to fit into Brooks' or off the shelf uniforms

Spiner was able to fit into Meaney's or an off the shelf uniform.

Dorn could not fit into Meaney's costume and they had nothing in his size. The same was the case for Sirtis and McFadden.

They should have just stuck with the TNG uniforms then, rather than a confusing mismash. I understand the navy uses different uniforms for different situations, but the way they were worn in Generations was too random for that kind of logic.

It's funny that I'm posting about this again though. There was a thread in the VOY forum along similar lines earlier this week, and I posted in there, and now I'm here.

It's such a small thing in the grand scheme of things, but it just bugs me. I suppose that's what the internet's for.

Possibly that style is the casual look or "B style" for small starships and informal occasions, and Picard ran a tight ship during TNG but loosened up a bit for ST:GEN? Note that our heroes generally change into the DS9 style in the movie when engaging in "work" (although not always dirty physical work) or having their "A style" uniforms soiled somehow.